While we sat in Nanny Cay and waited on the weather to pass, a few things came to mind. We were sitting in a prime location for a hurricane to come through, if one were to come at all, and through defying odds we were nestled well north, out of harm’s way. Still two more months of the glamorous season, and the number of holes not already occupied in the case of need were scant and skinny. We could ‘get to’ St. Martin and find protection there in the continuing journey south. We had ‘designs’ on Martinique, for a variety of reasons. But largely, there was a bit of ambivalence that surrounded these plans. What we liked about our travel was the opportunity to explore new places and to sail. Sitting in limbo does not typically offer those chances…typically.
There were other signs to give pause. Family, friends, work. And sometimes pause is a good thing.
We cleared out of the British Virgin Islands, not surprisingly, to the grumpy and impersonal, if not rude, cast off of customs. Dark clouds loomed sportingly along to the south and west. We could see the dumping of rain over St. Thomas as we motorsailed with the jib, down the Windward Passage. We stayed dry though, pulling onto a mooring in Charlotte Amalie for the night. We talked to the kids of our plan, to take a break and come back to Madame Geneva in a couple of months. Justin was nervous that the kids, once off the boat, would not want to return. “We’ll come back?” Gherty implored. “I’m going to miss Madame Geneva,” Che said quietly to Justin. “Can I have some peanut butter crackers?” Quinn inquired.
Still a sadness pervaded the next day’s sail to Culebra. The waves were large on our stern and quite a bit squirrely. Life jackets were donned. At one point, I exclaimed “Wow” as I looked over Justin’s shoulders at the green light through the towering wave. Justin, hands heavy on the wheel, said simply, “Don’t.” It was a short trip but when the dinghy passed us surfing on a different wave that the one we were riding on we were quite ready to be in the harbor.
I called customs from the boat. We do not yet have a decal so the procedure is to call, provide info and yet go in to clear. Still the experience could not have been more pleasant. The officer on the phone took down all vessel and passport information and prepared the office for our arrival. We were able to come into town for lunch before dinghying and then walking to the airport for clearing. I cannot stress how wonderfully friendly and welcoming the people of Puerto Rico are.
We were not feeling confident with our anchor (much more grass on the bottom now versus when we had anchored with no worries a couple months before) so pulled up and took a mooring in a quiet bay on the east side of the island. We opted for a stern anchor as the mooring seemed close to the reef and although there seemed no reason for the wind to shift in such a direction, the prudent mariner abides. Such a still night on Madame Geneva in that cove. We rolled not. We slept well.
Early the next morning, after a quick swim, we cast off for Culebrita. I imagine this is where Wonder Woman’s home is…the peaceful, splendid mirage turned reality. Waves were breaking along the reef and swells were rolling under the boat as we made the approach. We swam to the beach where the sand was like silk. The kids stayed most of the morning building castles and forts and playing in the waves. Justin and I stayed on the Madame and listened to shuffle on Justin’s phone. Seriously uncanny, the setlist included: It might be over soon, Carolina on my mind, Islands on the coast, No way out of here, If I had more time…
We made a make-do meal of the contents of our fridge with the idea of going into town for linner, and then left to moor at Dakity, a field just inside a reef that stops the sea’s swell and creates a most eerie feeling of anchoring at sea in stillness while waves continue in sight. We dinghied into town and went to Heather’s Pizzeria where the whole restaurant was provided birthday cake and rounds of song and cheer rang. A more perfect last day (for a while) on Madame Geneva could not have been had. 
The next morning we awoke to a rather omnious skyline. The radar looked wet and wild. We watched a sailboat pound its way out of the channel and head into the trades. We waited a bit and then made our way to Fajardo. The next 24 hours were filled with readying MG for a dry stay. We scrubbed, cleaned, emptied, flushed, and packed for a family of five to get on a plane to Charleston. Puerto del Rey is such an accommodating place. The people are truly great. We did it all, somehow.
So our plan was to fly into Charleston yesterday and surprise everybody. Thwarted. Hurricane Matthew is now hovering along the coast of Florida. Charleston is expected to receive massive rain, flooding and surge. And we are now delayed until Monday. 
So Old San Juan it is for now…we are walking the streets, visiting the art, eating the food and listening to the music. Last night we were looking for a place for dinner and were called into a ‘show’. Juan Carlos had us captivated with his Spanish guitar. His performance was met in style with two flamenco dancers, who sported a constant change of costumes, with skirts as long as wings. His fingers led a journey deep into South America and through the world as he showed the audience how one guitar can make the sounds of so many instruments. Gherty’s eyes were the size of saucers; Che moved his chair for a better view. 
And so we wait.
Much love and stay tuned.